Build Your Own Innovation Capabilities Studies

March 27, 2026

By: Federico Moscatelli

March 27, 2026 ・ minutes reading time

Researchers worldwide can now conduct their own in-depth innovation studies using the data behind the Innovation Capabilities Outlook enabling custom economy and industry analysis that was previously difficult to access.

The datasets underpinning the Innovation Capabilities Outlook 2026 are publicly available, empowering researchers and analysts to conduct their own sophisticated innovation capability studies, supporting deep-dive analysis tailored to specific countries, industries, or research questions.

Access Datasets

What is this data about?

The Innovation Capabilities Datasets provide key resources for research across over 2,500 innovation fields in 193 economies from 2001-2023.

Built from billions of data points spanning scientific publications, international patents, trademark filings, and export data, these datasets enable researchers to move beyond broad global analyses to conduct more precise, contextualized studies of specific innovation ecosystems or sectoral transformations.

For example, the datasets can help reveal how innovation capabilities connect to each other. Fields requiring similar knowledge, technologies, or institutions appear closer together in the innovation space. This network structure allows researchers to identify which new capabilities make sense for specific economies or industries based on their current strengths, rather than treating all fields as equally accessible.

Conduct Deep-Dive Economy Analysis

Researchers can now map innovation trajectories at the economy level in considerable detail. Trace how economies like Vietnam built their capabilities over two decades, identify which sectors drove complexity gains in South Korea, or analyze why some countries with strong scientific foundations struggle with technological translation. The datasets reveal not just what countries produce, but insights into how their capability portfolios evolved and interconnected over time.

Explore Industry Innovation Patterns

Sectoral analysts can examine how specific industries develop globally, identifying which countries dominate particular innovation domains and why. Study biotechnology capability concentration patterns, analyze renewable energy innovation networks, or investigate how digital technologies spread across different economic contexts.

Comprehensive Research Tools

The dataset package includes eight files

Disclaimer: The short posts and articles included in the Innovation Economics Themes Series typically report on research in progress and are circulated in a timely manner for discussion and comment. The views expressed in them are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of WIPO or its Member States .